Name: Mitchell Kahle
Age: 34
Position: Hawaii state director, American Atheists
Education: Boston University
Favorite book: "Atheism, the Case Against God"
It's something that can't be explained, he said. "I have never believed in God or professed to believe in God. I don't know what God is."
Before coming to Hawaii in 1992, he was only a member of American Atheists. He became spokesman because Hawaii needed one, he said.
American Atheists has had a membership in Hawaii since 1963, when the organization was founded by Madalyn Murray-O'Hair.
"It was founded out of the Murray vs. Curlett Supreme Court decision of June 1963," said Kahle, Hawaii state director, American Atheists. "It was the decision that made organized prayer in public schools illegal."
The court decision was on "organized prayer," he emphasized. Anyone can still pray on their own in school, he said.
Kahle said atheists are often misunderstood because they at times defend religious freedom.
He said, "Many of the current violations of church-state separation that are occurring in Hawaii have gone unchallenged."
It should be termed state-church separation because state is more important, he said.
All he's doing is pointing out to whatever government body is involved that it's in violation, said Kahle, a full-time activist who also works as a computer consultant. "They need to reform whatever the particular violation is."
Mayor Jeremy Harris is showing preference to Christianity over other religions with Honolulu City Lights over the Christmas holiday season, said Kahle.
"In order to remain legal, they need to remain secular ... They have shown a preference first for Christianity over other religions, but then for religion over nonreligion -- and the Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that that is indeed a violation of church-state separation."
Kahle also objects to the Army's cross at Kolekole Pass. "The Kolekole cross itself is an endorsement of Christianity (by the Army and the federal government)," he said.